things (not) past redress
by Scoffing At Gravity
Summary: After Little Big Guy flies off with his family, Nigel accepts the ramifications of his actions. Naturally, spoilers for "Pascal's Dragon".


**A/N:** After watching "Pascal's Dragon", I couldn't help but feel like there was a conversation between Nigel and Rapunzel that happened before she showed Pascal the painting of him and Little Big Guy. I was inspired to write it. I rewatched the series to try to get a better grip of Nigel's character, but content is sparse, so this is my take on him.

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Watching as the dragons disappeared beyond the horizon, Nigel let out a breath. He turned on his heel to face the royal guard. "The dragons have left Corona. You may all go," he dismissed them. He had no doubts that Rapunzel would address the disregard of her orders, and it wouldn't be fair to subject them to her understandable ire when he was the one to push for it. No, he would handle the fallout alone.

The men glanced around at each for a moment before shrugging and doing as they were told. Working together, they gathered up the remaining sleep potion and began hauling the catapult back toward the castle barracks. The grunts of their labor soon faded out of hearing distance in the forest clearing.

Nigel shifted to observe the scene on the cliff top. Raising up his spyglass, he was able to see Princess Rapunzel and her companions. The princess and Eugene appeared to be comforting Pascal while Maximus kept watch over the group. Feeling as if he were intruding on a private moment, Nigel lowered the spyglass and placed it in his coat pocket. He settled his back against a nearby boulder and stared at the ground.

Regret filled Nigel as well as apprehension. He'd crossed a line, and his orders had led to the princess plummeting off the ledge of a cliff. There was no getting around that conversation, and any avoiding or delaying the inevitable would not only make matter worse, but also be dishonorable. He owed it to her to accept responsibility for his actions in whatever manner she saw fit.

Ten minutes passed before the sound of hooves drew near. Back straightening, Nigel squared his shoulders and awaited the approach of Rapunzel and her party. It wasn't long before Maximus, along with his passengers, emerged from the forest and entered the clearing. The group noticed him almost immediately. Nigel swallowed the lump in his throat and fought the urge to step backward.

Surprise flickered over Eugene's face before his expression settled into an uncomfortable grimace. Maximus's eyes narrowed and a huff communicated his displeasure. Rapunzel and Pascal, on the other hand, were a harder read for Nigel. Pascal didn't seem too happy to see him, but it was a milder reaction that he'd expected. Rapunzel, however, appeared to have trouble with settling on a feeling, and it left her expression frozen.

Suddenly, Rapunzel spoke. "Where are the guards?"

Nigel gave a start, but answered nonetheless. "I sent them back once the dragons flew off, Your Highness."

Rapunzel nodded, processing the statement. "I'll speak with them tomorrow then." A shadow passed over her face.

"Your Highness, I -!"

"We'll talk at the castle, Nigel. It's been a long night for Pascal. You can wait until he's taken care of." Rapunzel's clipped tone invited no argument, and Maximus backed her up with a stern glare.

Nigel resigned himself to an awkward journey back to the castle. He bobbed his head in acquiescence.

"C'mon, Max." Rapunzel urged the horse back into motion. As Maximus moved forward, she didn't turn around to make sure Nigel followed.

Silently, Nigel trudged behind the group. The trek lasted a mere five minutes, but, to Nigel, it felt like an eternity. The unspoken things hung about the air creating a tense atmosphere, which threatened to suffocate him. Distracted as he was by these musings, Nigel nearly didn't recognize their arrival.

Rapunzel and Eugene dismounted.

The princess rested a hand against Maximus's muzzle and smiled at him. "Thank you, Maximus. You did well tonight, as always." She chuckled at the pleased whinny she received in return. "I'll be able to handle things from here. You go get some rest, okay?"

Shooting Nigel one last disappointed look, Maximus trotted in the direction of the stables.

"Eugene, could you take Pascal to my room and keep him company until I get there?"

"Of course. Whatever you need, Sunshine."

"I won't be too long, okay, Pascal?" Receiving a weary thumbs-up from the chameleon, Rapunzel dropped a kiss onto his head before passing him off to Eugene. Once the two disappeared down the corridor, she zeroed in on Nigel. "Let's go to the strategy room. No one should interrupt us there." Without waiting for his acknowledgment, she turned her back and began walking in the room's direction.

Stomach knotting, Nigel followed her lead. The corridors leading to the strategy room were barren of occupants, which left the royal advisor feeling both relieved and unnerved. He didn't wish for a public censure, but the complete silence from the normally effusive princess wasn't encouraging.

Rapunzel halted in front of the door and nodded at the guards on night shift, who immediately opened the doors for them. "Take a ten minute break. We need some privacy to talk."

She slipped through the doorway, and Nigel trailed in behind her. Once the doors closed, they listened to the departing footsteps of the guards. The sound of the guards gradually died out until the only sound left was the ticking of the clock.

Rapunzel walked to the center of the room and stood with her back facing Nigel. She held her shoulders in a rigid line, and clasped her hands in front of her. She took a deep breath and whirled around. "Okay, explain yourself."

Suddenly, Nigel's collar felt too tight, and he coughed at the sensation. He searched his mind for the right words to properly express his folly and regret. "Your Highness, I…must apologize. I let my past and my fears get the better of my judgment. I undermined your authority, and, in doing so, put you in harm's way. For that, I can only beg your forgiveness. I understand if you lost faith in me as an advisor and accept whatever judgment you see fit." He hung his head.

Rapunzel's blinked in surprise and parted her lips. A moment later, her stiff frame loosened, and she padded over to the contrite man. A huff of laughter escaped her throat without warning. "I was going to make those points myself, but you beat me to the punch." The humor dissipated, and she became serious once more. "Before I get started, I just want to say that you will _not_ be losing your job – whether by myself or my parents. This matter will be settled between ourselves."

Head rising, Nigel sent Rapunzel a disbelieving stare. "I – I won't?"

A headshake.

"A suspension of duties then?"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Not that either."

"Then what?"

"I wasn't quite sure myself until that apology," Rapunzel began, "and I do forgive you by the way." She clasped her hands together. "First, I'd like to discuss what happened a bit more. Why the change in perspective?"

"Seeing Pascal's dragon save the two of you from your plummet certainly helped matters, but it wasn't until I saw the dragons in the sky weren't hostile or preparing for an attack that I started to reassess things. Then I saw Pascal and the dragon saying goodbye. I realized I'd been wrong about dragons; not to say they can't cause damage by accident or when acting in defense of themselves, but that they weren't inherently a danger to people."

"They were just looking for their baby."

"As I'm now sure was the case with the ones that attacked my village." A wry grin twisted Nigel's lips. "I suppose that was my fault, too."

Rapunzel shook her head. "You were a child. You couldn't have known then, but you do now. I'm glad we're on the same page." She grasped her upper right arm and sighed. "Onto the topic of what happens next. I don't have a punishment for you. You took responsibility for your actions, and I believe you learned your lesson." She sighed. "However, I will say this: I don't know when or even if my parents will have their full memories restored. There's been progress, but it could take a while. It's important for the two of us to trust each other. I confess that I didn't take your belief that the 'marble' was a dragon's egg seriously, but it was. What I'm trying to say is…we need to work together. I know you care about Corona and only have its best interests at heart. I do, too."

Nigel dipped his head in acknowledgment. "I know you do, and I'll do better with trusting your instincts on things." He chortled. "I suppose I should have learned that lesson back during the storm. You were right about the legend, and it saved Corona."

"That's the spirit!" Rapunzel laughed. "I'm glad we had this talk." A yawn broke free from the tired woman. "And, on that note, I think it's time for both of us to retire for the night."

After his nerves settled, Nigel could finally feel his exhaustion. "A fine idea." He lifted his hand to disguise his own yawn.

The two headed toward the door, but, before she opened it, Rapunzel spun around. "One last thing: you'll need to apologize to Pascal, too."

"Of course, Your Highness. I'll see to it in the morning."

"Good."

Satisfied, Rapunzel opened the door and headed off to her room while Nigel walked towards the servant quarters. As he prepared himself for bed, he wondered how one went about apologizing to a chameleon. The words were easy enough to come up with, but would the lizard need a peace offering first? Drifting off to sleep, he decided he'd ask the princess for her input before settling on anything.

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**A/N:** Reviews are appreciated!


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